Time To Rock 2023: Michael Schenker shines again with an incredible headlining show

Seeing the master of masters Michael Schenker is always a golden opportunity to enjoy an authentic hard/heavy show without parallel. The 68-year-old guitarist and composer continues to set the bar in each of his performances and always more than delivers. He is someone who lives oblivious to the passage of time and who never seems to age, always maintaining the young spirit that has characterized him throughout the years. throughout his long career as a musician.

He is accompanied by the versatile and dedicated vocalist Robin McAuley, probably one of the best voices who has accompanied the veteran guitarist over the years and one of the greatest vocalists of the genre. I was lucky to see McAuley playing with Schenker last year -first time for me- and it was one of the best experiences I have had to date. In fact, the setlist that he brought on this occasion was quite similar and had changed very little, not to mention that since the presentation of his last album Universal (2022) he has had the same setlist except for some specific differences.

We find a certain variety, although the weight of the performance focuses, above all, on the UFO versions. From their debut album you can never miss Cry For The Nations or the energetic Armed And Ready, highlighting the incredible beginning of their performance with the frenetic Into The Arena that is a safe bet live. From the stage with Robin McAuley as vocalist they only perform Looking For Love, a total success, while from Assault Attack (1982) they continue crushing the powerful Rock You To The Ground. From his most recent albums such as Universal (2022) or Immortal (2021) we find songs such as A King Has Gone, Sail The Darkness and Emergency, highlighting a marvelous Red Sky from his album Built To Destroy (1983).

Despite the success of his solo songs, what the public really enjoyed at Time To Rock – like the rest of the occasions on which I have been able to see the famous guitarist alone – are the UFO songs, what we could classify as true hard rock anthems. From the emotional Doctor Doctor to the energetic Only You Can Rock Me with which he said goodbye to the audience, bursting out his performance with a selection of classics among which there was no shortage of Natural Thing, Shoot Shoot or Let It Roll, with the respectable one totally delivered when they played the immortal Lights Out or the extensive and always celebrated Rock Bottom with which the guitarist gives his all, stretching a guitar solo that sets the standard.

As always, it is worth highlighting the total dedication of its members, especially Robin McAuley, who celebrates each of her concerts with an impeccable performance. Schenker is something that will go down in history, something that should be studied in school in the years to come. His compositions will never go out of style, and in fact they remain more current than ever, something that the public understands perfectly and enjoys in every second of his show